- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Australian Planning Checklist for Cycling
by Mark Cohoe 09 Nov '12

09 Nov '12

Hi, I just came across this and thought it might be of interest. One of the things about it that I find most interesting is that "the checklist is based on the requirements of the Victorian Planning Provisions and associated engineering design guidelines." I'll have to look that up :) Planning Checklist for Cycling <http://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/general/bike-futures/94793/> Mark

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Fall 2012 Pedestrian Forum Newsletter
by Zdan, Terry (MIT) 08 Nov '12

08 Nov '12

The most recent edition of the Pedestrian Forum Newsletter<http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/2012/fall/> is now posted. In this edition you will find information on: Update on Efforts in Pedestrian Safety Focus Cities and States Spotlight on Proven Countermeasures: Road Diet<http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/2012/fall/#s1> Road Diet Case Study: Valencia Street, San Francisco<http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/2012/fall/#s2> MAP-21 Provisions for Pedestrians<http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/2012/fall/#s3> Walk Friendly Communities<http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/2012/fall/#s4> Bicycle Road Safety Audits<http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/2012/fall/#s5> Recent NHTSA Publications<http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/2012/fall/#s6> New Tools and Resources from USDOT<http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/2012/fall/#s7> Tamara Redmon Pedestrian Safety Program Manager Federal Highway Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Room E71-303 Washington, DC 20590 Phone: 202-366-4077 fax: 202-366-3222 http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/ To receive updates on our latest program information, please use our e-subscription service. Click on the above weblink, then click on "e-subscribe" in the upper right hand corner. From there, subscribe to the areas you are interested in.

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AT webinar: Maps that Guide, Encourage and Inform - Wed, Nov 14, 2-3 pm, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 08 Nov '12

08 Nov '12

Green Action Centre and Bike to the Future invite you to join us for a local viewing of the upcoming APBP and PBIC webinars at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) followed by group discussion.* *Detailed description provided below.* * *Maps That Guide, Encourage and Inform* Wednesday, November 14th | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CST RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth 925-3772 * * * * * * * The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) presents: Maps that Guide, Educate and Inform How are maps evolving to meet community needs? This webinar presents two case studies of maps developed for urban trip planning for cyclists. Arlington County, Virginia, recently published an updated paper map; learn how planners resolved decisions about the map's purpose and audience, edited map data to create a network and focus on connectivity, and coordinated with an adjacent jurisdiction. The second case study, from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), is an online map that consolidates data from 101 cities and towns in the Greater Boston area to provide both route planning and an internal resource for planners to prioritize improvements and create a regional network. The presenter will discuss how MAPC collected and merged data from a variety of sources, issues of data storage and format, and the tools available to publish maps online. *View the Arlington County map here*: http://www.bikearlington.com/pages/maps-rides/ *View MAPC's map here*: http://trailmap.mapc.org/ *Presenters*: David Goodman, Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs Manager, Arlington County, Virginia, manages the WALKArlington and BIKEArlington programs. In this role he oversees the built environment that directly affects walkers and cyclists. David designs and implements pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure projects such as sidewalks, accessible curb ramps, crosswalks, trails and bike lanes. His work also involves establishing design standards and specifications as well as reviewing new development proposals and transportation projects. He is a Certified Planner as well as a Licensed Architect. Christian Spanring is a GIS Developer with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). His focus is introducing innovative Open Source mapping and public engagement solutions to support MAPC's mission and projects. MAPC projects range from mapping tools (the MAPC Trailmap for pedestrian and bicycle facilities), engagement tools (the MBTA Budget Calculator) to a recreational park discovery application and data exploration tools like the MetroBoston DataCommon. Prior to MAPC, Christian worked as GIS Specialist for the Austrian Institute for Spatial Studies and Regional Planning and the Austrian Road Safety Board.

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Nov 14 webinar: Maps that Guide, Encourage and Inform
by Zdan, Terry (MIT) 08 Nov '12

08 Nov '12

All APBP members are receiving this message. Sign in to www.apbp.org with your username (shelyon) and private, case-sensitive, password. If you don't know your password, click here<http://www.apbp.org/link.asp?e=Sheila.A.LYONS@odot.state.or.us&job=752295&y…> to generate a reminder. Register now for APBP's November webinar: Maps that Guide, Encourage and Inform Wednesday, November 14 | 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time $50 per site for APBP members; $75 per site for non-members Register here: http://www.apbp.org/event/Nov-14_webinar<http://www.apbp.org/link.asp?e=Sheila.A.LYONS@odot.state.or.us&job=752295&y…> [http://www.apbp.org/resource/resmgr/images/nov-12_boston_map_sample.jpg]How are maps evolving to meet community needs? This webinar presents two case studies of maps developed for urban trip planning for cyclists. Arlington County, Viriginia, recently published an updated paper map; learn how planners resolved decisions about the map's purpose and audience, edited map data to create a network and focus on connectivity, and coordinated with an adjacent jurisdiction. The second case study, from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), is an online map that consolidates data from 101 cities and towns in the Greater Boston area to provide both route planning and an internal resource for planners to prioritize improvements and create a regional network. The presenter will discuss how MAPC collected and merged data from a variety of sources, issues of data storage and format, and the tools available to publish maps online. View the Arlington County map here: http://www.bikearlington.com/pages/maps-rides/<http://www.apbp.org/link.asp?e=Sheila.A.LYONS@odot.state.or.us&job=752295&y…> View MAPC's map here: http://trailmap.mapc.org/<http://www.apbp.org/link.asp?e=Sheila.A.LYONS@odot.state.or.us&job=752295&y…> Presenters: David Goodman, Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs Manager, Arlington County, Virginia, manages the WALKArlington and BIKEArlington programs. In this role he oversees the built environment that directly affects walkers and cyclists. David designs and implements pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure projects such as sidewalks, accessible curb ramps, crosswalks, trails and bike lanes. His work also involves establishing design standards and specifications as well as reviewing new development proposals and transportation projects. He is a Certified Planner as well as a Licensed Architect. Christian Spanring is a GIS Developer with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). His focus is introducing innovative Open Source mapping and public engagement solutions to support MAPC's mission and projects. MAPC projects range from mapping tools (the MAPC Trailmap for pedestrian and bicycle facilities), engagement tools (the MBTA Budget Calculator) to a recreational park discovery application and data exploration tools like the MetroBoston DataCommon. Prior to MAPC, Christian worked as GIS Specialist for the Austrian Institute for Spatial Studies and Regional Planning and the Austrian Road Safety Board. This webinar will be recorded; a link to the recording will be e-mailed to participants within 48 hours after the live session. APBP has applied to the AICP for one Certification Maintenance credit for this session. APBP will provide an attendance certificate to APBP members who document their professional development hours. Each site license includes one phone connection (toll charges apply, or use VoIP), one Internet connection, one set of handouts for unlimited attendees in the same location, and access to the recording. (You may be required to download free software from Citrix GoToMeeting in order to participate in the webinar.) For more information, contact Debra Goeks (262-228-7025 or info(a)apbp.org). Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals PO Box 93 * Cedarburg, WI * 53012 262.228.7025 * info(a)apbp.org<mailto:info@apbp.org> www.apbp.org<http://www.apbp.org/link.asp?e=Sheila.A.LYONS@odot.state.or.us&job=752295&y…>

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Cardboard bike: YouTube
by Zdan, Terry (MIT) 08 Nov '12

08 Nov '12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txSboSNQINs he wears a helmet...could be cardboard too From: at-network-bounces(a)lists.umanitoba.ca [mailto:at-network-bounces@lists.umanitoba.ca] On Behalf Of Dave Elmore Sent: November-08-12 9:44 AM To: at-network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca Subject: [At-network] Cardboard bike http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/11/cardboard-bicycles Cardboard bicycles Re-cycling Nov 7th 2012, 17:47 by The Economist online [cid:image001.jpg@01CDBD95.8A07B4B0] THE first bicycles were made of wood. After that, manufacturers used steel tubes. These days, for high-end bikes where weight is at a premium, they turn to aluminium alloys or even to carbon fibre. But Izhar Gafni, an amateur cyclist who owns a number of such high-end bikes, wonders whether the original inventors had a point. He proposes to go back to using wood-or, rather, a derivative of wood, namely cardboard. Mr Gafni, who is based in Ahituv, Israel, spent years trying to work out how to make a cardboard bicycle able to support the weight of a human being. The trick is twofold. First, he folds the cardboard-commercial-grade material, made from recycled paper-to increase its strength. (He worked out the exact pattern of folding for each of the machine's components using the principles of origami.) Then, once it is folded, he treats the result with a proprietary resin that holds it in shape and stiffens it, before cutting it into the form of the component required. A second application of resin renders the component waterproof, and a lick of lacquer makes it look good. The result, Mr Gafni claims, is stronger than carbon fibre. The bike's frame, wheels, handlebars and saddle are all made of cardboard in this way, and then fitted together. The tyres-again harking back to the early days of cycling-are composed of solid rubber, recycled from old car tyres. That makes the ride a little harder than if they were pneumatic, but means they cannot be punctured. The chain, whose design is based on the timing belt of a car, is also made from car-tyre rubber. The pedals are plastic recycled from bottles. And the brakes are also recycled materials, though Mr Gafni is not yet ready to disclose exactly what. The finished product weighs 9kg and can carry a rider weighing 220kg. Mr Gafni's target market is the poorer countries of the world. Since manufacturing the cardboard bike will, he reckons, cost $9-12 a unit, his velocipedes should find demand which metal bikes cannot. But people in rich countries may be interested too. In Tel Aviv, the commercial capital of Mr Gafni's native land, 2,000 stolen bikes were recently put on display by police, for their owners to claim. If bicycles cost less than the locks that chained them to lampposts, it might cease to be worthwhile stealing them.

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Cardboard bike
by Dave Elmore 08 Nov '12

08 Nov '12

http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/11/cardboard-bicycles Cardboard bicycles Re-cycling Nov 7th 2012, 17:47 by The Economist online http://media.economist.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/full-width/images/ 2012/11/blogs/babbage/20121110_stp504.jpg THE first bicycles were made of wood. After that, manufacturers used steel tubes. These days, for high-end bikes where weight is at a premium, they turn to aluminium alloys or even to carbon fibre. But Izhar Gafni, an amateur cyclist who owns a number of such high-end bikes, wonders whether the original inventors had a point. He proposes to go back to using wood-or, rather, a derivative of wood, namely cardboard. Mr Gafni, who is based in Ahituv, Israel, spent years trying to work out how to make a cardboard bicycle able to support the weight of a human being. The trick is twofold. First, he folds the cardboard-commercial-grade material, made from recycled paper-to increase its strength. (He worked out the exact pattern of folding for each of the machine's components using the principles of origami.) Then, once it is folded, he treats the result with a proprietary resin that holds it in shape and stiffens it, before cutting it into the form of the component required. A second application of resin renders the component waterproof, and a lick of lacquer makes it look good. The result, Mr Gafni claims, is stronger than carbon fibre. The bike's frame, wheels, handlebars and saddle are all made of cardboard in this way, and then fitted together. The tyres-again harking back to the early days of cycling-are composed of solid rubber, recycled from old car tyres. That makes the ride a little harder than if they were pneumatic, but means they cannot be punctured. The chain, whose design is based on the timing belt of a car, is also made from car-tyre rubber. The pedals are plastic recycled from bottles. And the brakes are also recycled materials, though Mr Gafni is not yet ready to disclose exactly what. The finished product weighs 9kg and can carry a rider weighing 220kg. Mr Gafni's target market is the poorer countries of the world. Since manufacturing the cardboard bike will, he reckons, cost $9-12 a unit, his velocipedes should find demand which metal bikes cannot. But people in rich countries may be interested too. In Tel Aviv, the commercial capital of Mr Gafni's native land, 2,000 stolen bikes were recently put on display by police, for their owners to claim. If bicycles cost less than the locks that chained them to lampposts, it might cease to be worthwhile stealing them.

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UPDATE - Pembina Hwy Buffered Bike Lanes
by Janice Lukes 07 Nov '12

07 Nov '12

Monday morning there was paint on Pembina identifying the north bound buffered bike lanes. The attached photos are self-explanatory. Lots continues to happen - lots still needs to happen for southbound bus stops / paving / paint! And was assured that yes, the poly posts will be installed this year - and attempts to clean snow around poly posts will occur. A phenomenal amount of underground work / logistics / etc. is occurring to install these buffered bike lanes. Unbelievable amount of manpower and work. Janice Lukes

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Webinar: Pedestrian Safety and Road Diets
by Shoni Litinsky 07 Nov '12

07 Nov '12

Please join Green Action Centre to watch the following webinar followed by discussion. Feel free to bring your lunch. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. FHWA and PBIC Webinar on Pedestrian Safety and Road Diets *Road Diets and Pedestrian Safety** Tuesday, November 20, 2012 2:00 p.m. — 3:30 p.m. EDT* Road diets, or the reallocation of road space through reduction in the number of regular traffic lanes, are of interest to communities that may be seeking to reduce traffic speeds, reduce crashes, improve accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists, or achieve a number of other benefits. This webinar will present information about the safety benefits of road diets, particularly to pedestrians, and highlight examples of road diet implementation in the United States. Libby Thomas, a researcher at the UNC Highway Safety Research Center, will provide a brief presentation on some of the research findings related to road diets. She will discuss many of the safety benefits of road diets, which have been shown to reduce crashes among all road users. Mike Sallaberry, Transportation Engineer at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, will discuss the road diet experience in San Francisco, California. San Francisco has implemented more road diet projects within its 47 square miles than any other city in North America. This portion of the presentation will give some brief background on the history of road diets in San Francisco, focusing on how and why they are used. Mike will discuss how road diets have been used to create space for bikeways, pedestrian facilities, and transit, as well as how they are used for traffic calming purposes and to add landscaping and storm water management features to a street. The presentation will touch on some of the benefits of road diets but will focus more on how to get them approved, especially when they are controversial. Gina Coffman, of Toole Design Group, will discuss the road diet experience in Seattle, Washington. The City of Seattle has successfully implemented over 30 road diets. Before and after evaluations have indicated up to 70 percent reduction in injury collisions and 90 percent reduction in aggressive speeders on corridors where such projects have been implemented. Gina’s presentation will explore the history, research, planning and design of road diets, offering tips to build stakeholder support through public process. Seattle case studies will include before and after data showing changes in traffic and bicycle volume, neighborhood diversions, speeding and collisions over the years. The presenters will also participate in a question and answer session to discuss how to address barriers to implementation and answer questions from the attendees. This webinar is one of the free webinars that FHWA offers quarterly as part of its Pedestrian Safety Focus States and Cities initiatives. FHWA's Safety Office is trying to aggressively reduce pedestrian deaths by focusing extra resources on the states and cities with the highest pedestrian fatalities and/or fatality rates. Webinar archives for this series, as well as listings of upcoming sessions, can be found at http://www.walkinginfo.org/training/pbic/pedfocus_webinars.cfm<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?UNCHighwaySafetyRese/3084cb0a2d/01de1edd15/a2c00bae…> . -- *Shoni Litinsky* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> _______________________________________________ AT-Network mailing list AT-Network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/at-network -- *Shoni Litinsky* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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WFP: Law on bicycle helmets soon (Nov.5'12)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Nov '12

05 Nov '12

Law on bicycle helmets due soon First offenders get off with quiz By: Steve Lambert WINNIPEG -- Manitoba's bicycle-helmet law will take effect within a few months, and first-time offenders will be able to avoid paying a fine by taking a new online safety quiz. Healthy Living Minister Jim Rondeau is finalizing the details of the law, which the legislature approved last spring. The aim, he said, is to promote helmet use while using penalties as something of a last resort. "Our goal is to actually not collect fines. Our goal would be for people to understand the law and put helmets on their head right away," Rondeau said in an interview. The law will require anyone under 18 to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle or face a $50 fine. But young cyclists caught in a first offence will be allowed to skip the fine by completing a test that will educate them about bicycling safety. "We're going to develop -- are developing -- a question-and-answer on bike safety that people can do as an alternative to paying a fine," Rondeau said. The law will come into effect before spring, he said, and be accompanied by a public-education campaign to make cyclists don helmets as automatically as motorists wear seatbelts. When the law takes effect, Manitoba will join provinces such as Ontario, where minors are also required to wear helmets. But Manitoba's approach stops short of laws in Nova Scotia and British Columbia that apply to adults as well. Physicians, the opposition Liberals and many cyclists have criticized the exemption for adults, who say kids watch what their parents do. "If I look at parents, they're going to be the example that kids will follow. And I think if you don't bring it in for everybody, you're going to wind up getting a bad example," said Charles Burchill, an avid cyclist who commutes by bicycle to his downtown job every day. Doctors Manitoba, the provincial medical association, has said a broader law would reduce the number of severe head injuries cyclists suffer every year. Rondeau is not ruling out an extension of the law to adults at some later time. "Those are discussions we'll have on the compliance and we will talk about further measures as we see compliance move forward. But right now, this is the next logical step -- to apply to children. Let's see what happens." -- The Canadian Press http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/law-on-bicycle-helmets-due-so…

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Bicycling Means Better Business
by Dave Elmore 04 Nov '12

04 Nov '12

http://www.utne.com/science-technology/bicycling-means-better-business.aspx? newsletter=1 <http://www.utne.com/science-technology/bicycling-means-better-business.aspx ?newsletter=1&utm_content=11.02.12+Science+and+Technology&utm_campaign=2012+ ENEWS&utm_source=iPost&utm_medium=email> &utm_content=11.02.12+Science+and+Technology&utm_campaign=2012+ENEWS&utm_sou rce=iPost&utm_medium=email Bicycling Means Better Business <http://www.utne.com/science-technology/bicycling-means-better-business.aspx > bike lane "Biking is definitely part of our strategy to attract and retain businesses in order to compete in a mobile world," says Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak as we glide across the Mississippi river on a bike-and-pedestrian bridge-one of two that connect downtown to the University of Minnesota. "We want young talent to come here and stay. And good biking is one of the least expensive ways to send that message." As we turn onto to a riverside bike path to inspect another span the mayor wants to convert to a bike-ped bridge, he recounts a recent conversation. "I was having dinner with a creative director that a local firm was eager to hire for a key post. He was an American living in Europe, and we spent most of the evening talking about the importance of biking and walking to the life of a city," Rybak says, smiling. "He took the job." Minneapolis has invested heavily in biking-creating a network of off-street trails criss-crossing the city, adding 180 miles of bike lanes to city streets with plans to double that, launching one of the country's first large-scale bikeshare programs, and creating protected lanes to separate people riding bikes from motor traffic-which is why it lands near the top of all lists ranking America's best bike cities. That "ratchets up" the city's appeal to businesses in many fields, Rybak says. "We moved from the suburbs to downtown Minneapolis to allow our employees to take advantage of the area's many trails and to put the office in a more convenient location for commuting by pedal or foot," explained Christine Fruechte, CEO of large advertising firm Colle + McVoy, in a newspaper op-ed. "Our employees are healthier, happier and more productive. We are attracting some of the best talents in the industry." David A. Wilson, who directs 1,600 employees at the Minneapolis office of the Accenture management consulting company, says good biking opportunities are important to the well-educated 25-35 year-olds he seeks to hire. "Five years ago, I don't think business people were even thinking about bikes as a part of business. Today it's definitely part of the discussion." He notes that Accenture recently relocated their Boston and Washington, D.C. offices from suburbs to the city to offer employees better opportunities for biking, walking and transit. A Creative Generation Loses Its Car Keys Young people today are driving significantly less than previous generations, according to a flurry of recent reports. Even Motor Trend magazine notes that young professionals flocking to cities today are less inclined to buy cars and "more likely to spend the money on smartphones, tablets, laptops and $2,000-plus bikes." Annual miles traveled by car among all 16- to 34-year olds dropped 23 percent from 2001 to 2009 according to a study from the "Frontier Group" think tank-and that does not even count the past three years of recession and $4 gallon gas. The Federal Highway Administration found the miles traveled by drivers under 30 dropped from 21 percent to 14 percent of the total between 1995 and 2009. These young people represent the "creative class" talent pool that many companies covet. That's why civic, business and political leaders in cities around the country are paying attention to the next generation's wishes for lively, livable places to work and play. This means diverse cultural opportunities, plentiful cafes and restaurants, a tolerant social climate, a variety of housing choices and ample transportation options like biking-not only for commuting to work, but also for recreation after work and, in some cases, over the lunch hour. Richard Florida, the economic forecaster who coined the phrase "creative class," recently described these sought-after workers in the Wall Street Journal <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444914904577619441778073340.h tml> as "less interested in owning cars and big houses. They prefer to live in central locations, where they can rent an apartment and use transit or walk or bike to work." Florida sees bicycling as critical for thriving cities, which is why he joined New York City's heated debate last year about the proliferation of bike lanes across the city. "New York has became a haven for creative-class professionals," he wrote in the Daily News, which makes good biking facilities important to the city's future. He added that biking remains important to workers in creative fields even as they grow older. "When they put their kids in child seats or jogging strollers, traffic-free bike paths become especially important to them." Thirty-three executives at New York high-tech companies-including Foursquare, Meetup and Tumblr-also weighed in on biking issues, urging Mayor Bloomberg to "support a bikeshare system as a way to attract and retain the investment and talent for New York City to remain competitive in the fast growing digital media and internet-oriented economy." Bloomberg agreed, and the bikeshare program begins next March with 7,000 bikes for rent. The City That Bikes Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was elected last year on an aggressive platform of bringing new tech and creative businesses to the city. When he scored a major coup this summer with Google-Motorola Mobility's announcement that it was moving more than 2,000 jobs from a suburban campus to the heart of the city, Emanuel explained," One of the things that employees look [at] today is the quality of life and quality of transportation because of the ease that comes with it. And that ease is having trains as a choice, buses as a choice and bikes as a choice getting to and from work." The City of Chicago's Chief Technology Officer John Tolva says it's no coincidence that Google-Motorola Mobility's new home in the Merchandise Mart is right next to Kinzie Street, the city's first green lane-where bike lanes are physically separated from rushing traffic to make riders feel safer and more comfortable on the road. This idea of creating protected space for people on bikes, borrowed from Northern European countries where bikes account for 10-30 percent of trips, is now spreading throughout the U.S. Martha Roskowski-director of the Green Lanes Project, which promotes protected bike lanes across the country-explains, "Cities that want to shine are building these kind of better bike facilities as part of a suite of assets that attract business. And they find that bike infrastructure is cheap compared to new sports stadiums and lightrail lines, and can be done much faster." George Washington University business professor Christopher Leinberger, a leading authority on real estate who predicted the current urban boom in a series of articles for the Atlantic magazine, points out "Biking is no longer just a niche for the macho guys. It's for a lot of people now. Ideally, we should have a 20-25 percent mode shift for bikes in cities. Great urban spaces are all about choices, including in transportation." Leinberger marvels at how bicycles are changing Washington, D.C., where he lives. "Bikes have been a critical part of D.C.'s turnaround. They are putting in protected bike lanes which does a lot more to encourage riding than just a white line of paint between people and a one-ton vehicle." Ellen Jones, director of Washington's Downtown Business Improvement District, says, "It's just crazy how biking has taken off here, especially the new bikeshare system which a lot of people are using for commuting." We spoke after she returned from an appointment with managers of a high-tech company wanting to rent an old warehouse downtown. "A lot of their employees bike to work and they were concerned about whether they could easily get their bicycles upstairs. When bicycling is part of the final decision on where a company relocates, then we know its impact." The boom in biking is also creating opportunities in the real estate sector. Jair Lynch, founder and CEO of a DC real estate development and construction company, declares, "We don't work in places that aren't near bike lanes." Even in the slow economy, $200 million in new apartments are currently under construction adjacent to the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis, a bike "freeway" cutting through the south side of the city. Another benefit businesses see for locating in bike-friendly locations is a break on health insurance costs. QBP, a bike parts distributor in the Minneapolis area employing 600, offered a series of incentives for employees to commute by bike and discovered an unexpected bonus-a 4.4 percent reduction in health care costs, totaling $170,000 a year. Tracy Pleschourt-partner at Carmichael Lynch, an ad agency in downtown Minneapolis that promotes biking-is excited about the possibilities of the just-launched Zap program, which electronically documents bike trips using on-bike RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) devices and trail-edge sensors. Right now the program offers only gift certificates and discount gear as prizes for frequent biking, but insurers are looking at it as a way to reward health-conscious companies with lots of employees riding bikes. Boosting the Business Climate Beyond Big Cities & Bike Meccas Bikes are improving the business climate even in cities not ranked as bike capitals or large metropolitan regions. Mayor Lee Leffingwell of Austin, Texas, said, "I certainly recognize the environmental, public health and quality of life benefits that more bicycling can bring our city, but I also value the contribution to the economy that comes with the provision of smart transportation options that attract major employers to Austin." Austin is ambitiously expanding its bike infrastructure; its first green lane opened last spring, one of 10 planned for the city. Cirrus Logic, a computer chip company that depends on specially trained engineers, moved to downtown Austin last summer from an outlying location "to become more attractive as an employer," says PR director Bill Schnell. "We can't just pluck anybody for our jobs. The people we want are mostly younger, and biking is part of the equation for them." CEO Tyson Tuttle relocated Silicon Labs, which designs integrated circuits for computers, to downtown Austin five years ago to be close to the city's bike trail system. It was one of the first of many tech companies that are now in the area. Tuttle, who himself sometimes rides to work, says it was a smart move. "Biking on the trails is something a lot of employees enjoy, and when people think about joining the company it's a big draw. It also helps with wellness and fitness." You might think that Memphis would be the last place in America to believe bikes can take us down the path to prosperity. In 2008, with not a single bike lane inside the city limits, Memphis was named one of the three "Worst Cities for Cycling in America" by Bicycling magazine (alongside Dallas and Miami). That prompted the city to stripe a few lines of bike lanes, but it landed on the three worst cities list again in 2010 (this time joined by Birmingham and Jacksonville). This year Bicycling honored Memphis as the "most improved" city for bicycling. It was also named as one of six cities (along with Portland, Ore., San Francisco, Washington, Chicago and Austin) to receive support from the Bikes Belong Foundation's Green Lane Project in creating a network of protected bike lanes to serve as best practices for other cities to follow. What happened? For one thing Mayor A C Wharton became a champion of biking, announcing, "We believe in the power of bicycle facilities to enhance the health, economy and safety of our community." He hired a bike-pedestrian coordinator for the city and put plans into motion that led to more than 60 miles of bike lanes. Memphis business leaders began talking about the importance of biking to city's future. Shepherd Tate-an attorney at the large Bass, Berry & Sims law firm-puts it plainly. "There's no question about it. Biking makes a difference in attracting talent." Eric Matthews, CEO of Launch Memphis and two other initiatives to nurture and attract new businesses, notes, "Biking correlates with entrepreneurs." The city, already home to the world famous St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, is positioning itself to become a center for new biomedical firms. "My job is to convince emerging companies that they can get the workers they want to come here," says Dr. Steven Bares, President of the Memphis Bioworks Foundation, an initiative to bring emerging health companies to Memphis. "The bike is part of the overall strategy to compete for talent." Jay Walljasper, author of The Great Neighborhood Book and All That We Share: A Field Guide to the Commons, chronicles urban life for a variety of publications. His website: www.JayWalljasper.com <http://www.jaywalljasper.com/> . This article was originally published on GreenLane Project <http://greenlaneproject.org/blog/view/198> . Photo courtesy Spencer Thomas <http://www.flickr.com/photos/spencerthomas/> , licensed under Creative Commons <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en> . Read more: <http://www.utne.com/science-technology/bicycling-means-better-business.aspx #ixzz2BINaPSdr> http://www.utne.com/science-technology/bicycling-means-better-business.aspx# ixzz2BINaPSdr

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